On December 14, 2020, the first healthcare worker in the U.S. was vaccinated with the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. A historic moment for sure! The anticipation and the excitement awaiting this vaccine was palpable in the medical and public health communities. The first recipient in NYC was Sandra Lindsay, an ICU nurse manager at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens. Ms. Lindsay, a woman of color stated, “ I feel like healing is coming”, she also said she felt good after the injection. “I hope this is the beginning of the end of a very painful time in our history”. She stated and she hoped that other people of color would opt to take the vaccine given the high mortality rate in this population.
The Moderna Covid-19 vaccine was granted FDA Emergency Use Authorization on December 18, 2020, adding another vaccine to fight against Covid-19. Both the Moderna vaccine and Pfizer vaccine were shown to be safe and effective during vaccine trials, and are being rolled out in the U.S. Both vaccines are given in two doses, with the Pfizer second dose being given at 21 days and the Moderna vaccine being given at 28 days.
To date there have been two cases of people in the U.K. and two people in the U.S. who have received the Pfizer vaccine who had serious allergic reactions requiring medical intervention. Allergy experts are advising concerned individuals that only people with a history of severe allergic reactions to specific components of the vaccine should not take it. The substance in the vaccine that has been implicated to date and could be the cause of the allergic reactions is polyethylene glycol, an additive to many vaccines. The recommendation is that, for people who have a history of immediate onset anaphylaxis to a medication or food, should not take the Covid-19 vaccine. If there is any doubt, they should check with their doctor prior to being vaccinated.
In anticipation of any side-effects, practitioners who are administering the vaccine should have emergency medication available to give in the event of an allergic reaction and recipients should be monitored for signs of anaphylaxis after the injection is given.
Who will get the vaccine first?
Based on the recommendations from the CDC’s Advisory Panel, frontline healthcare workers and elderly residents of nursing homes will be the first recipients of the vaccine in Phase 1A of the vaccine program. Many nursing homes have contracted with large national pharmacy chains, such as Walgreens and CVS to implement their vaccine programs. Other groups such as adults over 65 with underlying illnesses and essential workers, such as police, teachers and first responders will be vaccinated in later phases. It is estimated that the general public may be able to be vaccinated by springtime of 2021. The vaccine will be made available through health departments, hospitals, federally qualified healthcare facilities and private physician practices.
What to consider before getting the vaccine?
As health advocates working with patients, we are getting questions regarding the Covid-19 vaccine and what the current recommendations are. According to the distribution of the vaccine for different categories of people, many in the general population may not be eligible for the vaccine until late Spring or early Summer. In assisting clients to prepare for this, here are some points we are discussing with them in making their decisions:
Always consult your doctor before receiving any vaccination, particularly if you have a history of a serious allergic reaction to medication, foods or other vaccines.
According to the CDC, one of the target groups for the vaccine are people over 65 and who have underlying diseases that put them in a high risk group for Covid-19, such as diabetes, heart disease and pulmonary disease.
Getting the Covid-19 vaccine does not mean that you will no longer need to mask in public places, social distance or wash your hands frequently. Health officials are still advising these precautionary measures even after you have received the vaccine.
Currently, there is not enough information about certain groups getting the Covid-19 vaccine. This includes people under 18 years of age, people with diseases that affect the immune system, and pregnant or breast-feeding women. More studies need to be done with these populations.
It is still unclear how long the immunity from the vaccine will last. This will require further study of the vaccine recipients.
Many people are hopeful with the arrival of the Covid-19 vaccine and feel there is finally light at the end of the tunnel with this pandemic. Despite this, however, in a recent poll taken by Reuters, only 61% of Americans said they were open to taking the vaccine. Because of this type of feedback, public health officials realize that an aggressive campaign is needed to encourage people to get vaccinated. Just recently Vice-President Mike Pence and his wife, the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Surgeon General Jerome Adams were televised getting their Covid-19 vaccinations to encourage the American public and to show the vaccine is safe and effective.
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